At a press briefing Wednesday in Washington, Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby and other budget experts stressed the importance of finding fair, effective solutions to the nation’s fiscal and economic challenges.

The briefing, held at the National Press Club, marked the launch of the Fiscal Solutions Tour, which is being conducted by Concord with support from The Peter G. Peterson Foundation. The tour is designed to foster informed public dialogue in cities around the country by presenting diverse perspectives on how to move the federal budget onto a responsible path.

The tour will begin on the West Coast with programs in San Francisco (Sept. 23) and San Jose (Sept. 24). The tour will later visit Des Moines (Sept. 30); Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Oct. 7); Philadelphia (Oct. 22) and Chicago (Nov. 12).

Bixby was joined at the briefing Wednesday by David M. Walker, president and CEO of the Peterson Foundation; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum; Bill Novelli, a professor at Georgetown University, and Isabel Sawhill, senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings.

“Fortunately, the country has options that could put it on a more sustainable course – one that would make our country stronger rather than weaker for coming generations, “ Bixby said.

Walker added: “Given the sheer magnitude of the fiscal challenges we face, a narrow or ideologically driven approach will not work. All options need to be on the table and we need to adopt a plan of action soon.”